Friday, May 19, 2017 11:56 pm CDT

Guest User May 20, 2017

46 degrees F Cloudy Wind 9 mph NE

Sunrise 5:38 am CDT Sunset 8:42 pm CDT

The unusually cold, rainy, windy weather continues.

This feels more like early April than late May. It was only 39 degrees here this morning!

But the loons are fine with the cold rainy weather. EXCEPT when they are pulled off the nest by threats. Threats of bald eagles, intruder loons or even geese.

Geese are usually no big deal to our loons. But eagles and other loons intruding on their territory are great threats that they will go all out to fight

And today they they have faced both eagles and another loon.

There seems to be another loon that has appeared within the last week. And every time he appears, both of our loons go out to confront him.

That is stressful enough for them. But the danger is when it pulls them off the nest and exposes the eggs to the rain and cold weather.

And today the loons have been pulled off the nest at least three times (maybe more) by eagles.

The first one I did not actually see happen but my neighbor told me about it. He said that two eagles were actually dive bombing the loon and drove him half way across the lake.

Then shortly afterwards there was a single eagle that kept soaring right over the nest and the loon left in a panic. The loon returned to the nest but then left once again as the eagle came back.

I think we have had more problem with eagles this year than any other year that I can remember. I am thankful that eagles are on the rebound. But when they harass and attack loons, not so much.

I am also ready to be done with the rain and the wind!

The wind and waves have washed away a fair amount of the nesting material along the front of the nest. I don't think the nest is in any danger yet. I think the perspective of the picture makes it look worse than it is. But I would much rather that all the material that I had placed there was still there.

I will continue to watch it and if it seems like the nest is in danger, I may look for an opportunity, if the loons are off the nest and well away from the area, to bring more nesting material out there to replace what has been washed away.

But I think the chances of that are pretty slim. Plus I do not want the loons to be off the nest nor far from the nest.

I took a look at dates that the eggs might hatch. This is dangerous territory to make a guess and wander into!

I would say the eggs should hatch sometime between June 1st and June 8th. My best guess would be June 3rd, 4th or 5th.

Loon eggs, and eggs in general I think, do any amazing thing called "catch up". That is where the second egg hatches faster than the first egg - hence the name catch up.

Two eggs may be laid 3 days apart (or in the case of our eggs this year, 2.5 days apart) but yet they hatch LESS than 3 days apart. The second egg 'catches up' with the first egg.

Let's see what happens with our eggs this year.

Thursday, May 18, 2017 1:10 pm CDT

Guest User May 18, 2017

49 degrees F Clouds and Rain Wind 10 mph NE

Sunrise 5:40 am CDT Sunset 8:40 pm CDT

A cold north wind blows across the lake forming waves that buffet and bounce the loon's nesting platform.

But they have been faithfully trying to protect their precious eggs from the elements.

In many ways, those eggs are everything. They are the reason for everything the loons do for an entire year. They occupy the loons every effort and energy.

But they are worth it.

Because if they are successful in laying and protecting incubating those eggs, the species continues.

But that effort is not without its challenges. Including challenges from storms.

Last night we 'lost the cam' due to lightning. Many of you are aware of that.

I was actually online talking to some of the people in the chat room when it happened.

There was a bright flash and then almost immediately a clap of thunder. I remember thinking to myself "That was close." But I was not too concerned because it was not that loud a clap of thunder. Not like some of them are when the lightning is very close. You know the kind. When it actually shakes the house and rattles everything in it. When you feel it in the very core of your body.

This one was not anything like that.

It was just a 'run of the mill' lightning flash and clap of thunder.

But within a few seconds the sound started this very loud 'CLICKING' sound and the picture froze.

When I checked the signal coming from the camera and checked the server, the server was working but the picture from the cam was frozen.

My heart sank.

We lost a camera a couple years ago from a lightning strike. I could not believe that it might have happened once again.

IF the lightning had taken out the camera, that would be it for the year because I would not be able to go out to the nest to work on replacing the camera as long as the loons were already on the nest.

The Broadband 'miracle workers' have been working this morning on trying to find out what happened and to resolve it. And they have done it.

A few minutes ago we once again had A LIVE LOONCAM!

I have not heard yet what was needed or what had happened. But as of now the camera seems to be working and we can once again see our beloved loons!

Enjoy the view.

We have once again been reminded of how fragile and special it is.

Wednesday, May 17, 2017 5:41 am CDT

Guest User May 17, 2017

59 degrees F Cloudy Light Rain Wind Calm

Sunrise 5:41 am CDT Sunset 8:39 pm CDT

It is a quiet, misty, moody morning on Loon Lake this morning.

Officially the sun has just come up but we cannot see it because of the clouds and light rain.

There had been prediction for more severe thunderstorms and heavy rain overnight. But fortunately those storms did not hit here and all we have had are some occasional light rain showers that come and go.

Our loon has even been getting some much needed sleep as it tucked its beak under its wing. But even then it was ever vigilant with its eyes opening regularly to be aware of what was going on around it.

But now all the other birds and nature are beginning to wake up to a new day as well.

It is hard to believe that we are already over a week into the incubation of the eggs since they were laid last week. So much has happened in that time.

I always stand back in awe when I stop to think what might be happening inside that egg. The miracle of LIFE from 'nothingness'. Most of the time it is something so far beyond my comprehension and ability to understand. A wonder to behold.

To think that in just 4 short weeks we can go from the egg yolk and egg white that we make our morning omelets with to a beautiful downy black loon chick! How do you even begin to comprehend that? Much less explain it.

Or even more impossible DO it? But someone does it. Someone so far beyond our abilities and skills.

And so we wait for the climax of that wonderful miracle.

The commonly accepted time frame for hatching of loon eggs has always been 28 days. But the LoonCam has so greatly added to our knowledge and our ability to actually observe the loons close up. Researchers always had to sort of guess at when the egg was actually laid and when the chick hatched.

But a number of years ago we were the first to ever capture the actual laying of a loon egg on video. Now because of the LoonCam, watching loons lay their eggs has become almost 'old hat' to you. It is still exciting but most of you have seen several times.

For many years, this LoonCam was the ONLY way that any of us had a chance to watch loons 'up close and personal'. But in just the last couple years several other people, with varying degrees of success have also been trying to do loon cams.

And because of our ability to closely monitor the loons, we have known exactly when the egg was laid and we know within hours of when the loon chick hatches. With that new knowledge we have been changing the commonly accepted wisdom of what is known about loons and we have consistently seen hatching take place in less than the 'traditional' 28 days!

In the next few days I will give you my best guess of when we might see the hatching of the eggs. But that is a ways off yet so it can wait for now.

Let me point out one of the little 'wonders' that you can watch for over the next few days.

Yesterday we were up near 90 degrees here on Loon Lake. But in the next few days, high temperatures are only going to be in the 50s. It will be more comfortable for our loons and you will not see them panting as much while they are on the nest.

But watch for something else.

A loon normally has its wingtips cross and make an "X" over the top of its tail - on top of its body.

But during cool weather on the nest, watch to see what they do when they settle down on the eggs.

They will lower their wings along their sides. They will cross the wing tips. But they will cross them and then lower their tail on TOP of the wingtips!

By doing this, they create a 'sealed' warm space underneath their bodies where drafts and cold air cannot infiltrate. A little 'hermetically' sealed incubation space if you will with just the perfect temperature and humidity for our developing eggs.

And then in spite of cold winds and rain, there is a perfect space with all the right conditions no matter what the weather. Sealed against all the dangers and onslaughts around it.

Such a small detail but such a profound part of making sure that everything is just right for our chicks to develop.

It is so easy to miss those small details. But when we stop and look and think about it, we begin to realize how much wonder there is in even the small details of this marvelous creation that we are blessed to be a part of!

Tuesday, May 16, 2017 2:10 pm CDT

Guest User May 16, 2017

87 degrees F Partly Cloudy Wind 4 mph S

Sunrise 5:42 am CDT Sunset 8:38 pm CDT

It is a warm, partly cloudy day today.

With temperatures in the 80s and humidity, it feels more like summer than spring.

And while the last several house have been very calm and quiet for our loons, the day did not start out that way!

Earlier this morning, in the light rain, our loon left the nest and the eggs were exposed to the rain and cool of the morning for almost an hour.

First both loons were calling over and over because there was an eagle in the area. Then the male got on the nest just short of an hour with the nest exposed. But he left almost immediately as a loon was flying overhead calling with 'flying tremolos'.

As one of our pair was swimming back in towards the nest, an immature eagle swooped down and flew low over it. The loon wailed and desperately dove underwater to escape.

The only a few minutes after that, both of our loons were well out into the lake, confronting a third loon, an 'intruder' loon. That apparently was the loon that had just flown over a few minutes before.

There was no real battle between the three loons out there but there definitely was a face -off.

As if that was not enough, while our loons were out confronting the intruder and letting him know that he was not welcome in this neighborhood, a goose swam toward the nest.

I didn't think to much of it but then my jaw dropped.

The goose got up on the nest!

And the loons did not have a clue he was there because they were preoccupied with the other loon. If they had known the goose was on the nest, they would have made short work of it and unceremoniously chased him off.

I knew what a mess geese can make on the nest in just a matter of minutes.

So I decide it is up to me to chase him off the nest. He didn't want to leave until I was almost out to the nest. But finally he did leave protesting loudly.

The loons now saw what was going on so both of them came swimming in.

The eagle swooped down twice.

The male got on the nest but did not stay long. He wailed and he left the nest again. But he stayed close by and did not leave the area. His attention was obviously very focused.

I went down to look and the eagle had now switched trees from one neighbor a little ways away to another neighbor on the other side of the nest, but in a tree much closer to the nest.

And the loons did not like it at all!

I usually try not to interfere at all. But the loons had been off the nest way too long this morning with the multiple threats. So I walked along the shore to scare the eagle away.

But he wasn't ready to be scared. He just sat up in the big tree watching me. Until I was almost under the tree.

Then he finally swooped out of the tree, slightly toward me but not close enough to be of any danger to me.

But then as if to put a fine point on that statement by the eagle, as he flew away he swooped one more time at our loons who called out in concern.

But then the eagle flew away, I went up to the house and the female loon got on the nest.

All was well with the world once again.

Right now it is the male on the nest. He is MUCH more accepting of me and comfortable with me than the female is. She is getting used to me more and more but she is still a little bit hesitant.

But as I went down to the lake, the male loon did not react at all. He never flinched. He never lowered his head even a tiny bit. He just sat there with his head held high.

Since he was so comfortable with me, I decided to see if he would let me actually do some work in the lake along the shore. There have been a lot of weeds that have washed up in the wind.

He was VERY accepting of me working there.

So I have just spent the last hour and a half raking weeds and working along the shore and never once did he seem concerned or even lower his head.

It is gratifying to see him accept me and trust me like that.

Now I will continue to work on getting the female to accept me. But until then, anytime she lowers her head in reaction to me moving, I just leave the area completely so that she can't see me.

The loons have had enough drama for one day. And I have had MORE than enough.

So it is good to see them relaxed and content.

There are predictions for heavy rain and storms later tonight.

Hopefully that will be a non-event for out loons as well so that they can have some quiet time.

Monday, May 15, 2017 1:45 pm CDT

Guest User May 15, 2017

62 pm CDT Rain Wind 3 mph NE

Sunrise 5:43 am CDT Sunset 8:36 pm CDT

The rain has just started on the lake a little while ago.

And the loons have just made a perfect textbook nest exchange.

The male spent most of the today on the nest. But as the heavy rain started, the female loon returned to the nest. She got up on the nesting platform from the back and just sat and patiently waited until the male decided he was ready to leave.

As he left , the female immediately got on the nest and rolled the eggs and covered them. They were exposed to the rain for no more than a few seconds.

It could not have been a more perfect nest exchange.

This is just the start of what may be several days of rain. And radar shows a very heavy thunderstorm cell headed this way.

Hopefully there is no hail or damaging winds with it.

But while we hunker down in our dry houses, the loons are exposed to all the elements of the weather. Rain won't bother them. But hail might. Or extreme winds.

But for now, everything is safe and the plants on the nest are getting some much needed water. It has been very dry for several days.

Early this morning the loons were concerned about an eagle in the area and both loons were off the nest calling and paying close attention to where the eagle was and what he was doing.

Then about 10 am this morning, there was another loon that circled over the lake doing his flying tremolos the whole time.

He landed further out in the lake and both of our loons went out and positioned themselves between the intruder loon and the nest.

All three loons were on high alert with heads held high.

Fortunately there was no battle between the loons.

It has been several hours since I have seen the intruder loon. So I assume he has moved on - either to the other side of the lake or even to another lake.

So on a dark, moody, rainy afternoon we sit and watch our beloved loons.

It would be a good afternoon for a nap. But I don't take naps. So I will watch the loons while I work on other things.

Life is good.

Minnesota Bound

Sharing Stories of the Great Outdoors